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Current Issues
Our organisation has an E-Issues network, outlining current issues which you can help to address. The current issues include:
Two Senate Committee Reports on proposed alcohol legislation have recently been released:
- The Alcohol Toll Reduction Bill -
See report
- aimed to limit times at which alcohol products are advertised on radio and television for the protection of young people,
- provide for compulsory health information labels for alcohol products and
- more effectively screen alcohol advertisements.
The Senate did not recommend supporting this Bill on the grounds that there are better ways of achieving the same ends. It noted that, since the introduction of this Bill:
- The Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy is looking at alcohol advertisng. However the Senate Committee does want additional safeguards for children if alcohol advertising during sport coverage continues.
- It supports the request by Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council for FSANZ (Food Standards Australia and New Zealand) to consider mandatory health warnings on packaged alcohol. (However, FSANZ has said this will be costly and time-consuming.)
There were two dissenting reports -
- Senator Fielding considers that the current self-regulating alcohol advertising code is ineffective and wants the Federal Government to take control. Family First wants best practice prominent health information labels on alcohol products which could be part of a broader coordinated government information campaign. WCTU agrees with Senator Fielding.
- The report from the Australian Greens Senator - Rachel Siewert, listed eleven recommendations all of which WCTU would support. They include:
- a total ban on all alcohol advertising, sponsorship and promotional activities in Australia.
- distinctive, graphic and well-designed health warning labels under the consumer protection provisions of the Trade Practices Act comparable to the current regulations relating to tobacco. (i.e. not through FSANZ)
ACTION:
Continue to pressure the Government to implement action to tackle the problems associated with binge drinking. See Card No 2 - Advance Australia Where?. This card is to be sent to the Prime Minister. These cards only require your name, address and a stamp. Contact our National Office for supplies.
- The Senate Report on Ready to Drink (RTDs) Alcoholic Beverages See report
This reflected party lines. The majority Labor party report supported the tax rise as a means of reducing overall consumption and as part of a range of measures to reduce harmful alcohol consumption by young people including a comprehensive review of the taxation system. The report also recommended that governments consider measures including:
- uniform national laws with heavy penalties for people supplying alcohol to teenagers;
- stricter limits on the number of liquor outlets, their opening hours and the volume of take-away sales allowed.
- raising the drinking age to 21 in light of evidence that at this age, the brain is more resilient to the adverse effects of alcohol; (the Prime Minister opposes this)
- reducing the allowable alcohol content in ready-to-drink products to 3 per cent.
The dissenting Coalition report focused on the possibility that young people would just switch to buying spirits and mixing their own drinks and that it was just a grab for taxation.
When parliament resumes in August the Government will require the support of Family First Senator - Steve Fielding, the Greens and the newly elected independent senator - Nick Xenophon to pass this alcopops tax.
ACTION:
Contact Senators Fielding and Nick Xenophon and ask them to support the alcopops tax. Points you could make in a brief letter or email include:
- Increasing taxes has long been proven to reduce alcohol consumption in many countries
- There is evidence that the tax increase has already led to a drop in sales of alcopops to young people
- A review of other alcohol taxation should raise taxes on alternatives that young people may now find cheaper.
- The fact that the increased tax is expected to raise $3 billion is an indication of the enormous amount of 'alcopops" being sold, and therefore of the extent of the problems resulting from their consumption. It is not just a tax grab.
- While increasing taxes on alcopops has reduced their consumption, if the tax is not maintained, then the price is reduced again. This would be likely to cause a great increase in their consumption as a reaction.
- The alcopops tax alone is not the answer to the problems of binge drinking. It should be part of a well-planned comprehensive government strategy that they can bargain about with the government, while retaining the alcopops tax.
- Lowering the allowable alcohol content in alcopops to 3% may be one measure.
Write to the Greens (especially Rachel Siewert) and congraluate them on their policies regarding alcohol reform and encourage them to support the tax on alcopops in accordance with their policy that recommends additional excise measures on specific products which are attractive to under-age drinkers, such as RTDs, in addition to a review of all alcohol taxation.
March 2008: Binge Drinking
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April 2008: Poker Machines
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May 2008: Tax on Alcopops
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June 2008: Prayer for Government Legislation |
August 2008: Alcopops Tax
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